Mentor and Apprentice
by NancyDrewSMARTICUS
Summary: SECRET SANTA FIC  One-shot.  Many moons after the final battle, Jayfeather takes on an apprentice.  Will these two learn to pull one head out of the storm-clouds and another out of the sky?  Will they become friends?  Or are these two destined to hate?


**A/N: This is technically a Secret Santa thing for a friend of mine, frostfur72. But anyone else who wants to read is welcome to! Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all! Here's hoping you find peace, dreams, faith, and opportunity in what is left of this year and in 2012 too.  
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Jayfeather gazed sightlessly up at the moon, his blind blue eyes showing no ill affects at the light. He sighed as he shifted some of his leaves around the den, scenting each herb and feeling for how much of it he had. The mint was running low and he would need more Yarrow soon, but other than that, he was well stocked as normal for an early green-leaf Medicine supply. He could breathe easy, as well, knowing that wars between the Clans had not picked up since the battle with the Dark Forest almost twelve moons ago.

He looked down at what he supposed was his paws, remembering the deaths that had devastated the Clan so much. Among the dead for their clan was Hollyleaf, after coming back from the tunnels and fighting heroically as a warrior one last time. Dovewing, the third of the Three, had also died. As had Ferncloud, Dustpelt, Millie, Brightheart, and among many others, Firestar's last life was taken. Their clan struggled to survive and stick together after his death, but Bramblestar was doing well as a leader, proving himself wise and strong enough for the position.

He suddenly scented something, a kit! What kit was out of the nursery at this time of night? He gave a quick growl at having to do everything for the careless clanmates and walked out of the den.

He saw that it was Silverkit, out of the nursery. Again. _Oh for StarClan's sake!_ He thought to himself, _I'm going to have to talk to Ivypool about keeping a better watch on this one_. He padded across the clearing toward the scent of the small she-kit.

Silverkit pounced on something. A leaf? A feather? Whatever it was, it showed that she was definitely awake enough to move around. Why she was always awake at night, he never knew. All he wanted was for her to be in her nest and to stop disturbing the one time he can feel at peace. "Silverkit!"

He heard the she-kit land and scented her fear-scent, so he knows she wasn't expecting to see him there, "Jayfeather," she squeaked in that soft kit-voice, "I'm sorry. I know I'm supposed to be asleep, but I wasn't tired! I'm still not tired. Please don't tell Ivypool." She pleaded with him. This wasn't the first time he'd caught her wandering the camp at night.

He stared down at where she was supposed to be, "If you tell me why you're up and promise me you'll go back to the nursery and sleep as soon as you're done, then maybe I won't." He growled slightly, he just knew that she was up to trouble. Kits always were.

"I-I just wasn't tired," she mewed, shifting her paws and simply radiating embarrassment, "and I like seeing the camp at night. Its not so noisy or busy, and it looks pretty, too!" She squeaked out, her eyes shining a bit, "It's like walking in a dream, but you don't have to be dreaming!"

Jayfeather sighed and closed his eyes, shaking his head. He then picked the kit up by the scruff of the neck, he felt lucky she wasn't one of her bigger brothers, and carried her back to the nursery, "Now get to sleep while you still can." He said, giving a glare in her general direction, "It'll be dawn soon."

The she-cat nodded and was soon asleep next to her brothers Stormkit, Whitekit and Rainkit. Ivypool hadn't woken either. Jayfeather walked out of the nursery, then, going to enjoy what little there was left of his night.

"You know, you shouldn't be so hard on her," came a voice through his darkness that he recognized, "She's only a kit, after all. She doesn't know any better."

"What would you know, Leafpool?" He hissed, turning to the brown tabby she-cat he could see crystal clear, "After all, you were dead _long _before she was born."

"Yes, but I remember when you, Hollyleaf, and Lionblaze were kits. You would constantly get yourselves in trouble." She said, shaking her head. "Listen to what she has to say. I have a sense that she has a great destiny ahead of her."

Jayfeather attempted rolling his eyes, "Please, what kind of a destiny could Silverkit have?"

"You never know," she said with a quick flick of her tail, and then walked out of his vision as the Dawn struck.

* * *

><p>"I can't do this," hissed Jayfeather, his claws extending, "Taking on an apprentice! And <em>Silverkit<em>, no less!"

"She is right for the job," said Leafpool, "You must sense StarClans aura around the dreamy kit, too."

Jayfeather gave a dry laugh that sounded more like a hiss, "We _both_ know how StarClan's omens twist themselves!"

"Jayfeather, why don't you want an apprentice? Do you not have faith in her," asked Leafpool, sitting next to her son, "Or is it that you don't have faith in yourself?"

Jayfeather hissed and tried to claw his old mentor, "I have no reason to believe." He said, looking down, "In either of us. I don't get along well with other cats, and all she'll do is make a mess of things."

"Have faith, Jayfeather!"

"I _do_ have faith!" Hissed the gray tabby, "I have _faith_ that this won't work!"

Leafpool looked into her son's eyes, "Jayfeather..." she said, brushing his side with her tail. "You can do this. Have faith in yourself and have faith in Silverkit."

"There is no reasoning behind that faith."

"Faith consists," said Leafpool, starting to walk away, "In believing what is beyond power of reason to believe." Soon, the she-cat had disappeared and Bramblestar had called the meeting.

"Silverkit, from this moment on you shall be known as Silverpaw!"

"Silverpaw! Silverpaw!" Chanted the clan around him, but Jayfeather could hardly join in the excitement as the clan around him cheered.

"Silverpaw, you have chosen a special path. You will be mentored by Jayfeather in the ways of the medicine cat." Said Bramblestar as Jayfeather stepped forward, walking to where he scented Silverpaw. He stood in front of her and attepted to touch his nose to where he assumed her was and bonked his chin on her head.

She gave a squeak, then a small mrrow of laughter and touched her nose to his. She seemed... happy... Jayfeather couldn't help but smile just a bit.

* * *

><p>As they walked toward the Moonpool many moons later, Jayfeather could sense the worry in the air around Silverpaw.<p>

"Jayfeather?" She said, her silver fur must have been shifting as she walked because some came to brush his own gray fur, "What if... StarClan doesn't accept me as a Medicine cat?"

He couldn't help but laugh and bump his apprentice softly with his shoulder, "Listen to you! You sound like you're six moons old again." He mewed, chiding her just a bit.

"Jayfeather!" She mewed in protest to her mentor. "I'm being serious!"

"So am I." He said, looking blindly at her, assuming by where her voice was coming from the she-cat was about the same general height as him. "Silverpaw, they accepted you then, why would they have a reason to reject you now?"

The she-cat gave a sigh, "I don't know... I just don't know I can do this..."

Jayfeather sighed and gave a small purr, "You know, I said the same thing when I first heard of you wanting to become my apprentice."

Silverpaw gave a laugh, "And you had your second thoughts while trying to train me too." She mewled, bumping him with her shoulder, and then looking off into the distance.

"Yes, that's true." Said the gray tabby as they approached the spot to wait for the other Medicine Cats of the Lake Territory. "What's also true is that I realized something training you that I would like to pass along while there's still a few things I can teach you."

Silverpaw turned to him, he could tell by the way the air shifted, "What's that?"

"All of this life," He mewed, looking out to where he assumed the sky was, "Is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better, and if you never take risks, you'll never reap a reward." He purred, "I put trust and faith in you, and look how you turned out. I managed to transform the dreamy, Insomnia-ridden kit I took on as an apprentice to the fine medicine cat I see- er, _scent_- before me."

Silverpaw seemed to radiate pride, concealed by the shyness in her voice, "You mean it?"

"I do." He mewed, then cuffed her ear, "Now hurry up, I think they left without us!"

Silverpaw stood and followed her mentor, stepping in time to keep up with him and guide him over any rocks that may have shifted. Snow started to fall for the first time that leaf-bare.

* * *

><p>"I, Jayfeather, Medicine Cat of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the way of a medicine cat and with your help, she will continue to serve her Clan for many moons to come. " He looked down to where he assumed the she-cat was, "Silverpaw, you do you promise to uphold the way of a medicine cat, to stand apart from rivalry between Clan and Clan, and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"<p>

Silverpaw straightened up and gave a small purr, "I do."

"Then by the power of StarClan, I present you your true name as a medicine cat. Silverpaw, from this moment you shall be known as Silverpool. StarClan honors you rknowledge and certainty and we welcome you as a full medicine cat of ThunderClan."

"Silverpool! Silverpool!" Chanted the other medicine cats as Jayfeather stepped back to his place. Silverpool groomed his ear in a friendly way as they lay down in the snow, two gray cats, mentor and apprentice, laying side by side as they drifted into StarClan dreams.

* * *

><p><em>~Fin<em>


End file.
